Capsule reviews for May 3

Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg

The 1960s pop-culture starlet and enigmatic Rolling Stones muse goes from the background to the spotlight in this uneven yet insightful documentary that succeeds best when it’s not straining to advocate for her relevance. Narrated by Scarlett Johansson through excerpts from Pallenberg’s unearthed diary, the film traces her arrival in New York as a teenage immigrant, and subsequent assimilation into the city’s underground art scene. A model and actress, she gained more notoriety for volatile romances with Stones members Brian Jones and Keith Richards, filled with drugs and turmoil. Abundant archival footage enhances an intimate glimpse into the band’s creative zenith through Pallenberg’s unique lens. (Not rated, 112 minutes).

The Contestant

Mostly wallowing in the same reality-television cesspool it scrutinizes, this documentary about a particularly egregious example of public humiliation and exploitation in the genre rarely digs beneath the voyeuristic surface. It follows Nasubi, an aspiring Japanese comedian who in 1999 was forced to live naked for more than a year and enter magazine contests for prizes while being filmed under false pretenses for big ratings. It made for an obnoxious spectacle in which all sides were complicit. The film seems too eager to shoehorn Nasubi’s experience into a predetermined narrative structure rather than probing deeper into his fractured psyche. After all, he’s been through much worse. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

Evil Does Not Exist

A subversive genre hybrid that builds a cumulative emotional potency, the latest from Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) is a slow-burning yet suspenseful mystery about the hidden costs of industrial progress. It’s set in a snowy village outside Tokyo, where developers begin work on a luxury retreat nearby, expedited because the project is using pandemic relief funds with a set expiration date. This causes an issue for the locals, especially with regard to the water supply. There are character-driven subplots skillfully woven into the story, too, as the film’s lingering hostility boils over into violence, creating a frustrating moral ambiguity. Still, it’s captivating. (Not rated, 106 minutes).

I Saw the TV Glow

Tapping into adolescent angst from a deeply specific and universally resonant perspective, this offbeat and visually imaginative coming-of-age drama is a haunting look at marginalized outsiders. Socially awkward teenager Owen (Justice Smith) bonds with an older classmate (Brigette Lundy-Paine) over their shared admiration for a strange supernatural television show. But when the series is cancelled, their lives become a surreal odyssey of identity that blends reality and fantasy. Sidestepping nostalgic tropes, the screenplay by director Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) perceptively satirizes idealism and superficiality in young-adult entertainment while also thoughtfully examining how art can provide a vessel for expression and self-discovery. (Rated PG-13, 100 minutes).

Jeanne du Barry

A true-life scandalous footnote in French royal lineage is given a tame and flat-footed dramatic treatment in this handsomely mounted costume drama from French filmmaker Maiwenn (Polisse). She also stars in the title role as an 18th century social climbing courtesan whose handler and lover (Melvil Poupaud) is a count with connections to King Louis XV (Johnny Depp). When they are introduced, subtle sparks eventually lead to a full-blown affair against the historical backdrop of the oncoming Revolution. The performances are richly textured and the embellished screenplay is intermittently compelling. However, the emotions remain muted in a period piece that feels too safe and conventional. (Not rated, 117 minutes).

Lost Soulz

Rough around the edges, this coming-of-age saga is fueled by raw authenticity in portraying young creatives struggling on the socioeconomic margins. Sol (Sauve Sidle) is a Texas rapper who is recruited by a rising hip-hop collective during a road trip to El Paso for a show. But while indulging in petty mischief and chasing an opportunity for an artistic breakthrough, he’s distracted by troubles he’s leaving behind back home. Rookie director Katherine Propper finds an endearing camaraderie among the ragtag characters — aided by expressive performances from Sidle and other acting newcomers — while not glamorizing or softening the mental-health perils of viral fame and contemporary adolescence. (Not rated, 95 minutes).

New Life

An unsettling relevance lingers beneath the surface of this taut and tightly wound thriller that puts a fresh spin on familiar genre conventions. It tracks the parallel stories of two women in peril — Jessica (Hayley Erin) is fleeing troubled circumstances while trying to reach the Canadian border, while Elsa (Sonya Walger) is battling a debilitating physical condition as the agent assigned to track her down. The multilayered screenplay by rookie director John Rosman gradually reveals details through flashbacks that enhance the emotional stakes. Although the buildup could use more urgency, the film steadily builds suspense by infusing its cat-and-mouse narrative with relatable trauma and paranoia. (Not rated, 84 minutes).

Turtles All the Way Down

By emphasizing superficial fantasy over grounded reality, this coming-of-age romance based on a novel by John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) winds up trivializing mental illness in a sea of narrative contrivances and self-help chestnuts. It centers on Aza (Isabela Merced), a teenage hypochondriac and germophobe whose afflictions inhibit her ability to connect with her patient best friend (Cree), her exasperated mother (Judy Reyes), or her extremely wealthy childhood crush (Felix Mallard) who has recently re-entered her life. Merced (Madame Web) probes Aza’s troubled mind with sympathy and compassion, although the idealistic film remains too detached from reality to forge a deeper emotional impact. (Rated PG-13, 111 minutes).

Uncropped

You don’t have to live in New York to be familiar with the work of photographer James Hamilton, the subject of this engrossing documentary that uses his iconic images to illustrate a surface-level glimpse into the heyday of the city’s alt-weekly journalism. Hamilton has worked for numerous publications over the past several decades, specializing in street photography and portraiture of celebrities who later became his friends. Anyway, Hamilton’s work is generally more compelling than his anecdotes, although as the film — which suffers from overlength — broadens its focus to talk about the vibrant, ragtag 1990s culture of The Village Voice, it gains an elegiac potency. (Not rated, 111 minutes).

Wildcat

Although it conveys a heartfelt appreciation for its subject, this uneven biopic of misanthropic Georgia writer Flannery O’Connor becomes muddled when trying to illustrate thematic connections between her facts and her fiction. The latest directorial effort from actor Ethan Hawke stars his daughter Maya as O’Connor, whose committed portrayal provides an emotional anchor. Focusing on her struggles to write and publish her first novel, the film examines how O’Connor’s racist and overbearing mother (Laura Linney), her conflicted spirituality, and her physical deterioration from lupus all contributed to a bleak worldview that pervaded her Southern gothic stories. However, the stylish result lacks sufficient depth and moral complexity. (Not rated, 103 minutes).